Research on eating and depression

It’s important to interpret research findings with caution. These studies are unable to conclude whether poor diet causes low mood – it could just be that happier young people seek out healthier diets, and unhappier young people seek out unhealthy diets. For example, when we’re feeling low, we can often crave sugary, comfort foods, as they give us the ‘hit’ of energy. However, the energy from the sugary snacks doesn’t tend to last long, which could lead to eating these snacks more frequently and consuming bigger portions.